James Conner Isn’t Ready to Return

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to wait at least another week before getting the services of one James Conner as he continues to deal with an ankle injury.

“Im trying. It’s day by day I can walk around fine. I’m not limping around, but when I’m out there on the field, cutting and stuff, I’m not ready yet,” Conner told The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly.

Pittsburgh currently leads the Baltimore Ravens by one game in the AFC North. But unfortunately for them, they will go up against the league’s best team in the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

“We’ll let the amount of work that he’s able to do and the effectiveness of that work be our guide,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told Penn Live’s Jacob Klinger on Tuesday regarding Conner’s potential return. “We’ll make those decisions at the appropriate time as we push toward game time.”

In his absence, Jaylen Samuels has taken over Conner’s spot. He put up 172 total yards against the Patriots this past Sunday. 142 of them came on the ground at 7.5 yards per rush. He also caught two passes for 30 yards. Meanwhile, the Steelers are coming off a huge win over the New England Patriots. But not having Conner for much longer could be a very big problem.

On the season, he’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry en route to 909 yards and 12 scores on the ground.